Candlemass – Death Thy Lover EP (Review)

Candlemass’ last album, 2012’s Psalms for the Dead, was mooted to be their last. But now, to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the release of their debut album, the doom legends have returned with a new EP: Death Thy Lover.

As celebrations go, this EP is a bit like that time the Oban Community Firework Display accidentally set off all their fireworks at once. But not as exciting.

Once you’ve heard the excellent opening track Death Thy Lover you might as well pack up and go home cause there’s nothing happening here. Sleeping Giant is woefully dull nursery-rhyme doom. Sinister and Sweet is livened up only by a superb guitar solo from Lars Johansson and The Goose is a bland instrumental. New vocalist Mats Levén performs well but can only do so much with such unengaging material.

I had high hopes for Death Thy Lover but this mediocre EP fails to recall any of the band’s tremendous former glories or offer a way forward. Candlemass’ 30th Anniversary celebration has misfired. Move along, nothing to see here.

Yeah. They had a box set out recently too. They should have just stuck the title track on that as a bonus. This EP just sounds half assed to me. Half Candlem-assed even! You wouldn’t Doom Dance to any of this.